Campus & Community
UAB's distinctive character is reflected in a campus that defies category. It cannot be labeled "metropolitan" or "traditional" because it is neither. And both.
It is a state-of-the-art, 21st century campus with a close-knit, traditional environment comprising 86 city blocks. It is nestled in the serene foothills of the Appalachian Mountains but channels all the energy and opportunity of a cosmopolitan city. The campus is bustling with an array of student organizations and activity, while Birmingham offers a wealth of intenships and co-ops, outdoor pursuits and a thriving arts and culture scene.
More students than ever are living on UAB campus — more than 2,200 (and two thirds of freshmen). With such a congenial environment for study, work and leisure, these students are engaged in a rich and memorable campus experience.
A vibrant, green campus
UAB is a campus rife with learning, cultural and social opportunities. Students and faculty are a community of scholars, colleagues and friends enjoying a vibrant campus life in and out of the classroom — whether in the library, lab, cafe or tailgate.
The Campus Green is at the heart of UAB life, achored by an award-winning Campus Recreation Center, dining commons and inviting residence halls. The 150,000-square-foot Recreation Center features an indoor pool, an oval running track, basketball courts, a multi-purpose court, a climbing wall, cardio fitness areas and well-equipped weight-lifting areas.
Nearby on the Green is Blazer Hall, a state-of-the-art residence facility for freshman that features suite-style rooms, 14 study lounges, a Residence Life Center and other amenities. Across the way is the Commons on the Green, a full-service dining facility open seven days a week with a variety of international cuisines.
Students have unparalled opportunities for research and scholarship in leading-edge facilities all around campus. At the Shelby Interdisciplinary Research Building, UAB Hospital and other key facilities in UAB's internationally renowned research enterprise, students are engaged in closely mentored, hands-on research experiences beginning in their freshman year.
In UAB's libraries, students study and research using the newest technologies in a warm, relaxing environment. Together, Mervyn H. Sterne Library and Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences hold more than a million items — books and journals, CDs and videos, and a quickly expanding collection of online offerings and e-books. Renovations in recent years to Mervyn H. Sterne Library, including a Starbuck's on the ground floor, make for a very sociable, collaborative setting for research and group study.
UAB is home to an exciting Cultural Arts District, anchored by the Alys Stephens Center for the Performing Arts. The center is Birmingham’s home for the performing arts, hosting top-quality student productions, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and legendary acts from Itzhak Perlman to Shawn Colvin to Willie Nelson, plus stellar performances by UAB's own departments of Music and Theatre. Adjacent to the Alys Stephens Center is the Wyatt and Susan Haskell Courtyard, a smaller, more intimate venue for jazz and acoustic concerts, plays and soirees. Soon to open across the street is the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts.
UAB is also home to some 150 student organizations — including an active and inclusive Greek System of 16 fraternities and sororities — and exciting Division I athletics.
The legacy of Coach Gene Bartow lives on the arena that bears his name, where the men’s basketball team has earned 13 post-season NCAA berths (three times to the “Sweet 16” and once to the “Elite Eight”) and nine NIT appearances. This winning attitude drives scholar-athletes in six men’s and 10 women’s sports, as cheerleaders, Golden Girls, the painted fans of “Gang Green” and the 150-member Marching Blazers Band cheer them on to victory.
A cosmopolitan, entrepreneurial setting
Birmingham is major metropolitan city of some 1.2 million that has evolved into a thriving nexus of of medicine, banking, business, and groundbreaking research and development. In this entrepreneurial environment, UAB students are equipped for a range of careers in today's global knowledge economy, completing some 3,000 internships, co-ops and clinical activities each year.
Bordering UAB campus are the historic Five Points and Lakeshore Districts, an eclectic mix of restaurants, cafes and live music venues. Read more about arts and entertainment in these and other areas at Black & White, Birmingham Weekly and al.com.
Also throughout the greater Birmingham area are a host of cultural and outdoor and leisure attractions.
Click here to read more about all Birmingham has to offer.
